We'll get through this
by Lizzyk121
Summary: 'I woke up, dressed in clean pyjamas, and with my arm around Ginny's sleeping form. For the first time in a l feel at peace.' Flips between Harry in the present tense and the recovery process after the war. It follows a lot of the characters through the process, but only Harry's point of view is written in the first person. RW/HG HP/GW
1. Chapter 1

_Harry_

'_Dad! Wake up.' I grunt in my sleep, desperately trying to escape the small insistent voice bellowing directly into my ear. I grunt again when my ten year old daughter hits me across the face with a pillow._

'_Lily, I've told you not to do that,' I say sitting up and looking at my daughters grinning face._

'_Mum told me to do it.'_

'_Of course she did' I grumble, swinging my legs around to dangle over the bed. _

'_Harry you had better be awake,' Ginny's voice sounds irritated, as she bellows up the stairs. At times like this she reminds me so much of her mother it genuinely terrifies me._

'_I'm up,' I shout back, and hear her walk away, shouting orders to the boys as she goes._

'_I like it when you're in trouble,' Lily tells me earnestly, 'It means that I'm not.'_

'_You can be if it would make you feel better,' _

'_No it's ok.' She chirps and merrily skips out of the room. _

_Slowly I start to get myself ready for the day ahead. I stare into the mirror and self-consciously rub the scar on my forehead. It had not so much as twinged in nineteen years, but on days like this one I can still call the pain it used to give me to mind. _

_It's May the second, a somewhat mixed day. Twenty years ago today our lives were both fixed and torn apart in the war that signified the end of an era. For five days of the year Hogwarts lets certain kids from the school go back to their families as this one day is still one that families want to spend together. Every year my family, the other Weasleys and Teddy Lupin gather at The Burrow and use the day to remember those we lost in the battle. _

_Looking back on that night it is hard to believe that a night that was so terrible could have been so wonderful in all the new things that began that night._

* * *

**Ron**

After the conversation the trio had had with the portrait of Dumbledore the little energy that Harry had seemed to leave him. His shoulders slumped perceptibly, and he walked away from them as soon as they reached the hallway outside the office. Ron watched him go, extremely anxious for his best mate. They had all been through hell that night, but Harry had been through more than any of them.

'Come on,' Hermione said from his side, sliding her hand in his and giving it a little tug, 'We need to get back to the hall.'

Ron closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. If he was honest with himself the hall was the very last place on earth that he wanted to go. Just the thought of facing his family again made him cold. His mother's tear filled eyes, George's lost expression and worst of all Fred lying cold and dead in the middle of all of them.

Reluctantly he gave into the pressure and followed Hermione back to the great hall. Many of the people who had been gathered there before were now gone, and Ron could make out his family clearly. His mother sat on the floor with Fred's head in her lap smoothing back his head and shaking with sobs. Behind her stood his father with one hand on her shoulder and the other hand around Percy who looked utterly and completely destroyed. George just sat by his twin's side. He wasn't crying, instead he looked utterly lost. This, Ron thought, was much worse that tears. Charlie, Bill and Fleur were nowhere to be seen, probably helping gather the rest of the bodies from around the school. It took him a while to spot Ginny among the group. She was sitting a little way away from the rest of his family, curled into a small ball, rocking back and forwards with her head in her arms.

Hermione immediately went to her, while Ron went to talk to his father.

'Me, Hermione and Ginny are going to the dorms,' He told him in a low whisper.

'I thought you would say that,' the older man looked at his son, and managed to give him a small sad smile.

Ron couldn't return it but squeezed his shoulder saying 'Please try to sleep, all of you.'

He nodded and turned back to his wife. Ron knew that sleep was probably next to impossible for any of them right now, but after the time they had all just lived through they needed to at least try.

It took a while to coax Ginny out of the ball she had formed around herself but eventually she agreed to follow them up there. When Hermione moved to take Ginny up to the girls dorm Ron grabbed her wrist lightly.

'Not tonight. We need to stay together tonight.' She offered him a small nod and slowly they began to trudge up the stairs.

* * *

Harry was sprawled across his bed when they entered the room. He looked terrible. His clothes were ripped and filthy, and every inch of him, whether clothed or not was covered in several layers of blood and grime. Underneath it all he was so deathly pale that for a moment Ron was taken back to the dreadful moment when they had all thought that he was dead. From the small sob that escaped Ginny he knew that she must be remembering the same thing, and he glanced at her.

She had stopped shaking now, and as soon as she had recovered herself moved towards Harry.

Without a word Ron pulled Hermione away from them. He knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Harry needed Ginny more than anything right now. Without a word to Ginny Ron pulled Hermione into the small bathroom that was connected to the dormitory and shut it behind them.

* * *

**Ginny**

The sight of him lying like that on the bed made Ginny's whole body hurt. He was so still that only the steady rise and fall of his chest showed that he was still alive. She took a moment to take in the truly dauntless task ahead of her, shook her head and then moved to get to work.

'Scourgify,' she said quietly, and managed to remove some of the grime off of him. She sighed, realising that she would have to actually wash him. It wasn't so much that she minded, it was more the fact that she would have to wake him up to get him out of the clothes he was wearing.

Turning to the drawers next to his bed she began to rifle through his drawers to find pyjamas for both of them. She got back to work, after putting them on the bedside table. Pointing her wand at the washbowl on the table she used the aguamenti charm to fill it with water, and picked up the washcloth.

He stayed asleep as she began to gently dab at his face with the washcloth. He groaned a little when the cloth made contact with the scar but still did not wake up. She was almost done cleaning the parts of him not covered by cloth when her brother reappeared with Hermione, both of them looking clean and without as many injuries.

'Here,' Hermione said gently, placing a small bottle beside the pyjamas on the table. 'It's Dittany. It should help with his cuts and bruises.'

Ginny just nodded in response, intent on the job at hand. Without another word Hermione walked back to where Ron was watching his sister with sad eyes and pulled him towards his four poster bed.

When Ginny had cleaned the skin she could easily reach she almost groaned. She really didn't want to wake him up, and knew that more than anything else he needed sleep, but she didn't have much of a choice about that matter.

She emptied the bowel of the now dirty water and filled it up again, then scourgified the washcloth, and placed it into the wash bowl. When she was sure that there was no longer anything else she could do to prolong the moment she moved up to his face and planted a kiss on his forehead.

'Harry, I'm really sorry but you have to wake up for a second.'

* * *

**Harry**

As expected as soon as I had gotten to the dormitories I pretty much just fell onto my bed. Images of the past months flashed before my eyes, both the good and the bad. When I came back to reality I was vaguely away of something cool and damp being wiped across the skin on my arms, and didn't open my eyes. It was nice to wake up to something gentle and soothing instead of waking up to worry and stress.

I didn't really understand what was going on until I felt a soft pair of lips make contact with my forehead and then Ginny's low voice urging me to wake up. I slowly opened my eyes to look up at her worried face hovering above me.

'Hey,' my voice came out rough and scratchy and not at all sounding like I had expected.

'Hey, I … urm … you need to take off your shirt for me.' I raised an eyebrow at her and blood flooded her cheeks, 'I need to clean you up harry. No offence but you're filthy.'

For the first time since I had gone into the forest I looked down at myself. She was not wrong. My arms were clean, no doubt thanks to Ginny's ministrations, but my clothes were caked in grime and blood.

I sat up, and sucked in a sharp breath when the movement caused pain in my chest that I had not noticed before thanks to the exhaustion. I tried to smile reassuringly at Ginny when her brows furrowed in renewed concern, although it probably came out as more of a grimace. Gritting my teeth against the pain pulled off my shirt. As soon as she got a good look at me Ginny gasped, and I followed her gaze. My chest was more bruised and bloody than the rest of me. In the space over my heart was a long oozing scar, the same shape as the one on my forehead. The bruise around it spread to my sides, almost completely black in the middle and then getting gradually lighter the further away it got from the wound.

'What happened?' Ginny breathed, unable to take her face away from the grizzly sight.

'Killing curse,' I mumbled, already exhausted again, and grateful that the feeling made the pain recede. Ginny shot me a sharp look when my words sank in, but helped me to lie back down on the bed as it was clear that I was seconds away from slipping back into and uneasy sleep.

'We are going to talk about this.' I heard her say, right before the tendrils of sleep pulled me under.

It was a long time later when I woke up, dressed in clean pyjamas, and with my arm around Ginny's sleeping form. For the first time in a long time I felt completely at peace.

* * *

**OK so I'm going to try to update this often. **

**Thanks to MADAM BETH for the idea for this story that I'm kind of using from her great Hunger games story 'The Red X on the Door' **

**Please review this. I tend to write faster when I get reviews.**

**Hope you enjoy it xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

'_James Sirius Potter!' Ginny's voice sounds furious as she bellows from the kitchen, just as my foot finds the floor of the ground level of Grimauld place. In front of me and my fourteen year old son has frozen into place, obviously not having noticed me. He starst to move backwards, away from the stairs that lead to the basement and unknowingly towards he gets close enough I grab him my the colour and he yelps in surprise._

'_What did you do?' I ask him in a weary voice. My oldest son has pretty much always been in trouble since he first learnt to walk. _

'_I'm not sure, it could be a few things' he replied sheepishly, 'but I thought it would be better to keep a low profile and find out later.'_

_It's hard work but I manage to stifle my laugh, and give him a slight push in the direction of the stairs._

'_Not a chance, get down there now.'_

_His shoulders slump as he walks slowly down the stairs with me close on his heels to make sure he doesn't bolt. _

_Albus and Lily are sitting at the table, looking highly entertained. Whatever it is that James has done must either be really bad or really funny. I look up at my wife, and she looks furious but I can also see a flicker of amusement in her eyes, and a slight shine from supressed sadness._

'_Here,' she says, pushing an official looking Hogwarts letter at me, but not taking her eyes of James. 'Read what your son has done.'_

_I let out a groan and take the letter from her. Just the fact that she called him my son and not our son tell me that whatever he has done this time is bad._

_**Dear Mrs Potter.**_

_**We are writing to inform about one of the recent exploits of your eldest son James Sirius Potter. Three days ago on the 29**__**th**__** of April James was apprehended in possession of one of the toilet seats, usually fixed to the seat in the bathroom joining his dormitory. Unfortunately we were unable to regain possession of the previously mentioned toilet seat before he managed to send it to someone via his owl. **_

_**We understand that James is currently in your care, and thought it would be better if you received this news whilst he is living under your roof. Along with any punishment you chose to inforce he will also be expected to attend a detention on the 5**__**th**__** of May when he returns back to school.**_

_**Best wishes as always**_

_**Professor B Hempweith**_

_**Head of Gryffindor house.**_

A vague memory assaults me as I remember Fred and George telling Ginny they were going to send her a hogwarts toilet seat, right before I left for my first year as a wizard. Now I understand Ginny's reaction. I groan again as I realise that James' good old uncle George must have given this particular idea to James. George is in for a long talk from his sister later today.

'_And look at these,' Ginny said after I looked up at her from reading the letter trying my hardest not to smile. I took the other two letters from her hand._

_**Harry.**_

_**I heard about the incident with James. I know I'm a teacher here but seriously it was brilliant. definitely a trick worthy of the famous Weasley twins.**_

_**Hope you're well and I will see you all this summer.**_

_**Neville Longbottom**_

_**Professor of Herbology**_

_I did smile a little at that letter, and moved on quickly onto the next one when Ginny gave me a furious look._

_**Harry,**_

_**I just wanted you to know that we received a toilet seat the other day from none other that your son. Please let him know that I am incredibly proud that he is carrying on the proud family traditions of Weasley and potter of creating chaos in the school. It is good to know that though the school no longer has us to cause Havoc the work is being carried on by the decedent of a marauder and a Weasley.**_

_**Look forward to seeing you later today**_

_**George.**_

_**P.S Tell James that if he needs any help in pranking and general rule breaking his uncle George is happy to help.**_

_I bite the inside of my cheek, not sure if I want to laugh or sigh. It turns out that I don't need to do either because as soon as it is obvious that I have read all three letters Ginny starts to yell at James in earnest. _

_I don't say anything through the entire time, knowing that it is better to let Ginny shout herself through than to interrupt her. My other two children are laughing quietly into their breakfast, not wanting to incur the wrath of their mother. _

* * *

**Hermione**

When Hermione woke up she felt nothing but peaceful, as though she were simply waking up in her dorm and would be going to a lesson later that day. Then the full force of the night before hit her and she rolled over, or at least she tried to roll over. Mid roll she came in contact with Ron's body. He was awake, and staring at the ceiling, tears falling quietly down the side of his face. It was obviously an effort to keep his crying silent, and he didn't even look down at Hermione at the touch.

'Ron,' Hermione said tentatively, as she stretched out her hand to wipe the tears away from his face. A sob escaped Ron's lips and he pressed them tightly together along with his eyes.

'Oh Ron,' she sighed, and then sat up and pulled him to her. She didn't know how long they sat like that, Ron sobbing with his face buried into Hermione's next and her stroking his hair while her own tears rolled down her cheeks unacknowledged.

Eventually Ron managed to pull himself together and looked up into her face. She didn't think that she had ever seen him look that sad.

'What happens now Mione?' He asked, and he sounded so overcome with grief and young that she didn't even tell him off for calling her that and just shut her eyes before she answered.

'We cry, we laugh and eventually we move on. And it's going to be amazing as much as it's going to hurt'

Again there was silence in the room before Ron spoke again.

'I love you, you know.' Through the haze of pain and grief Hermione felt a slither of happiness break through, and smiled.

'I love you too Ronald, even if you do have the emotional range of a teaspoon.'

He laughed a little at the memory and then buried his face back into her next to cut off the sound.

'It's ok to laugh Ron. They wouldn't want us to be miserable.'

She didn't say who 'they' were and she didn't need to. Ron lifted his hand to stroke her hair and after a while the tears stopped and the moved to go downstairs.

* * *

**Harry**

I woke up to the sound of muffled crying and whispers coming from the direction of Ron's bed, and my heart felt as though it had plummeted to the pit of my stomach. Ginny was wrapped in my arms next to me, and it was only that fact that kept me in the bed. She needed me as much as Ron needed Hermione today. I was not about to let her wake up alone.

I tried not to listen to the continued deep sobs from Ron and Hermione's whispers as I lay there. Instead my thoughts circled around thought of last night. The foremost in my mind was Tonks and Lupin lying motionless in the great hall. If I had given myself over at the beginning of the night everyone might still be alive, and I would not have condemned Teddy Lupin to a life without his parents.

'Harry,' Ginny's quiet voice pulled me out of my dark thoughts and I looked at her. She wasn't crying like Ron, but she looked as though she could break down at any second. She also looked older than I had ever seen her and I recognised the look. It was the look of someone who had been through something that forced them to grow up far too soon.

'Do you want to go somewhere else,' I whispered into her hair and she nodded. As quietly as we could we picked up our wands and moved towards to door down into the common room, which was still deserted.

As soon as they had both reached the bottom step Ginny wheeled around and pressed her lips hard against mine. I took a step back as I caught her and very nearly fell back on the stairs, steadying myself using the handrail.

'Gin?' I said a little breathlessly, pulling away.

'Make me forget Harry,' she said looking up at me with pleading in her eyes as she leaned in again to kiss me.

I gave her a cursory kiss and then pulled back again to scan her face. It was filled with determination a grief but I knew that if this continued it would not be o the right reasons. I sighed heavily and then began to speak.

'Ginny we can't.' I pressed my forehead against hers, 'Not like this.'

'What?' Ginny moved away from me, folded her arms over her chest and glared at me, with a look so reminiscent to her mother that I took another step back, and this time succeeded in falling back onto the stairs.

'You know who is gone, we won. What possible reason do you have now for not wanting to be with me?'

'Ginny,' I stood up and raised my hands in what I hoped was a placating gesture. 'That's not what I meant I …'

'No. Either you want to be with me or you don't. It's simple. I have just lost my brother. Nothing is ever going to be the same again.' Tears were falling thick and fast down her cheeks at this point, 'Remus and Tonks are gone as well as a good number of my friends. Just tell me now if there is another fucking thing I have to get used to not having.'

And then she fell onto the floor rocking back and forth on her knees, her face pressed into her hands. Never before had I seen her lose control like this, and my reaction to it was automatic.

I moved towards her and lowered myself so that I was kneeling beside her and wrapped my arms around her pulling her against me.

'Of course I want to be with you, ' I murmured into her fiery hair, 'You were what kept me sane all those months.'

'Then why…' She asked, her voice muffled.

'Well because Ron and Hermione could come down at any point and I don't think he'd be too pleased about finding us like that,' I felt her laugh a little at that. 'And because we are both still recovering from yesterday, and I want to do this for the right reasons, and not just to forget.'

She nodded a little, and then finally relaxed in my arms. It took a long time for her to relax completely, and put her arms around me. When she was facing me fully I stroked her hair and rubbed small circles on her back, waiting for her to calm down.

At some point Ron and Hermione found us like that, both of them with red puffy eyes. They didn't say anything when they saw us, and we didn't move. I wasn't sure Ginny even knew that other people had walked into the room through her sobs. Quietly they moved towards us, Ron kneeling next to Ginny and rubbing her shoulder and Hermione next to me. Together we tried to work through a fraction of the sadness that the previous night had left us with.

That morning was truly when the healing process began for us and when the scars the Voldermort and his followers had inflicted began to slowly heal.

* * *

**Hey, thanks for the follows, favourites and reviews :) Keep them coming, I tend to write faster with reviews and such.**

**Also if you are into Hunger games or the divergent trilogy check out my two other stories.**

**Resurgent and Annie crept up on me (Finnick and Annie's story before they feature in the hunger games books.)**


	3. Chapter 3

_Breakfast takes a very long time. After bellowing at James, who's face had turned as red as his hair, she turned on me._

'_You can tell your son off too every once in a while.' _

_I didn't say a word in reply. From experience I know that it is best just to let her fizzle out on her own, especially on days like this one. Fred's presence seems tangible in the air this morning with the anniversary of the battle along with James' latest bout of rule breaking. I have no doubt that later we will laugh about the toilet seat, probably with George and Angelina. _

_It doesn't take long for Ginny's temper to fizzle out, and she whispers an apology to me as she places the bacon sandwich in front of me, and plants a kiss on my cheek._

'_Gross,' James shouts from across the table making a face, but then drops his eyes back to his own plate as Ginny shoots him a look. _

_I can see Albus smirking at him out of the corner of my eye and I raise me eyebrows at him. Lily is the only one of us no longer focussed on breakfast. Instead she is moving around the room, obviously searching for something. It's not hard to guess what._

'_Not again Lily,' I say in an exasperated voice. My daughter is the spitting image of her mother except for two things. Her eyes are brown like Ginny's but are exactly the same shape as mine and her eye sight is just as bad. She is the only one of my children who has to wear glasses like me. _

'_It's not my fault. I don't like wearing them,' she whines at me. I move to get up and help her but Ginny stops me with a hand on my shoulder. I look at her confused and then follow her gaze. The boys are both laughing quietly into their breakfasts, twin looks of mischief on their faces. _

'_Lily come here,' Ginny says kindly and carefully Lily makes her way towards her. Ginny strokes a hand down lily's flaming red hair once and then raises her wand._

'_Accio glasses.' Immediately pair of purple framed glasses flies towards us from Al's direction and land in Ginny's hand. Without a word she hands the glasses back to their owner. It takes Lily roughly ten seconds to realise what has happened and she begins to puff up with anger. She starts to shout at Al, who looks petrified, stomping over to him and that is when it happens. I watch as Al falls backwards off his chair as though pushed, although Lily is still too far away to have touched him._

'_Oh boy,' I mutter jumping to my feet, right as Al starts towards his sister. James just watches with a grin as Ginny and I pull them away from each other, knowing that a fight is imminent. Lily glares at him, and he too is thrown from the chair._

'_Enough!' I shout to the room at large and the room breaks into a stunned silence. It's a rare thing for me to get angry. _

'_Lily, go and get dressed. Al finish your breakfast and James,' I round on my eldest son, who has just gotten back to his feet and looking sheepish. 'If you do anything else to make me or your mother angry I swear I will take away your broom.'_

_I walk towards the stairs, and move towards the sitting room, searching for peace. Before I reach the top of the stairs I hear Ginny's voice adding her own calmer admonishment to them. _

'_Of all the days you could choose to behave like this you had to choose today.'_

* * *

**George**

George hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, hadn't moved from Fred's side since the battle had ended. He wasn't crying, but he wasn't sure that that was a good sign. His mother had been led away to one of the conjured beds in the early hours of the morning by his father and Bill. Percy and Charlie had tried to do the same with George but had eventually given up. Now everyone was starting to wake up again, and he could hear muffled sobs ringing around the large room as they remembered what sleep had temporarily allowed them to forget.

Charlie and their father were standing behind George, talking in low tense voices. They sounded worried and George guessed that they were talking about him but he couldn't find it in him to care. He couldn't find it in him to care about anything. He didn't know where the rest of his family were, but they were nowhere he could see them.

He hadn't really thought about anything except the loss of Fred since he'd found out. He hadn't even really thought about his own feelings but he did now. He felt lost without his twin. He wasn't really sure who he was, or could be without him. Ever since he could remember it had been as though they had been one person. Yes they would go their separate ways in some things, but through everything it had always, steadfastly been them. Hopelessness was there too. How could he possibly continue the shop that they had set up together without the other half? He didn't even know how he would summon the strength to walk through the front doors.

After all that there was a mixture of happiness and guilt. You know who was finally dead and defeated. The rest of his family, including Harry and Hermione were alive, even though for a dreadful minute they had all thought that they had lost Harry too. As soon as he allowed himself to feel the relief that went with this knowledge the guilt of feeling anything positive when the other half of me lays cold and stiff in front of him consumed him.

The most consuming emotion George was feeling, however was anger. Anger at you know who for causing this. Anger at whoever had cast the curse that had killed Fred, but worst of all anger at Fred for not getting out the way or actually being where he was supposed to be instead of acting the hero.

Ron's voice brought him out of this depressing train of thought and he raised his head enough to see Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny standing beside his father. All of them had red rimmed eyes and all of them kept shooting him worried looks. George looked down again, not wanting to meet their gazes and resumed staring at the lifeless body of the twin who would never again finish his sentences.

* * *

**Ginny**

In her opinion Harry was being infuriating. Ginny had forced him to show Ron and Hermione the grizzly sight of his chest. Much to Ginny's horror it seemed to have gotten worse overnight. The bruises seemed darker than before and there was still blood dripping from the wound above his heart. Hermione had gasped when she had gotten her first good look at it and Ron had paled alarmingly, and raised his eyes to Harry's.

'Is that where…?' Harry nodded before he could finish his sentence.

'Ginny's right, you should go and see Madam Pomfrey' Hermione said. She looked as though she was going to be sick, and Harry hastily buttoned the pyjama top back up to stop them all gawking at him.

'I told you Hermione. She's got too much on her plate already. The scar on my head was fine and no one ever had to look after me for that.' Ginny caught the stubborn tone in his voice and rounded on him.

'Harry, how could you know that? Just because no one has ever told you about it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Anyway Dumbledore personally took you to your aunt and uncle's house. He would have known if anything was up wouldn't he?'

Harry didn't say anything, just set his jaw.

'Harry mate,' Ron spoke up, 'Do you really think that Madam Pomfrey is not going to seek you out. Really all you're doing is making her job easier.'

'Fine,' Harry groaned, staring at the ceiling in exasperation, 'But I'm telling you I'm fine.'

'I'll believe that when I hear her say the words.' Ginny muttered as she moved towards the stairs up to the girls Dormitory, continuing to skewer him with a venomous look. Hermione followed after her, kissing Ron on the cheek before she went.

* * *

**Harry**

I was irritated beyond belief when we finally reached the great hall. The feeling wasn't helped when blood from the wound on my chest started to soak through my t shirt, causing Ginny to give me a look that clearly said 'told you so.'

They didn't really get why I was making such a big deal of it. What I had told them was that Madam Pomfrey would have too much to do with the other people who had been injured, and for the most part that was true. The smaller part of it was hard to admit even to myself. Through the almost seven years of fighting against Voldermort ever almost every major battle had ended with a visit to the matron. I didn't want this time to end the same way, even if I knew it was stupid.

When we walked through the big double doors to the great hall all of us sobered immediately. A lot of the bodies had gone now, along with their families. We Weasleys were not difficult to find. Percy was sitting with Mrs Weasley on a bed that had obviously been conjured for her. She was lying on the bed, her face pressed into the pillow, sobbing and saying Fred's name over and over. Percy sat next to her, holding her hand and crying silently while he sat with his mother. Bill and Fleur were nowhere to be found, and I suspected that they were replaying the scene that we had just gone through up in Gryffindor tower.

Mr Weasley and Charlie were standing by Fred's body, conversing in low whispers. Mr Weasley looked conflicted but his eyes were dry, and Charlie's face mirrored his. Worst of all was George. He wasn't crying but as far as I could tell he hadn't moved since the night before. He was still sitting by George facing us. We moved over to speak to of them, getting quickly more worried about George.

'Hi dad,' Ron said when we were level with them, shooting George a worried look.

'We're going to take Fred home,' Charlie said, speaking for both of them, 'As soon as Bill and Fleur get back.'

Ron nodded and looked back at the sight of his two older brothers, both broken in different ways.

'Harry needs to see Madam Pomfrey first,' Ginny said quietly, obviously making an effort not to look at the sight in front of us.'

'Why?' Arthur looked worried as he looked at me, and then paled like his youngest son had done when he spotted the steadily growing stain on my chest. 'Merlin Harry why haven't you seen her before now?'

'Didn't want to bother her,' I mumble sheepishly, avoiding looking at any of them.

'Harry, why don't you go to madam Pomfrey now? I think she's need the front of the hall looking after Firenze.' Charlie said, 'Ron, Ginny. Mum needs you,'

Charlie sounded older than I had ever heard him sound before, even during the terrible time During the quidditch world cup. His worried eyes went from his mother to George and then settled on Fred.

'Come on harry,' Hermione said from my side, 'Let's get you looked at.'

* * *

'Why didn't you come and see me before boy.' Madam Pomfrey was incensed when she saw me, 'I would have though you of all people would need some healing after … after…'

Her lip started to tremble a little as her eyes scanned the room. Hermione coughed a little, bringing the matron back to herself. She blinked as if trying to clear her vision and then was all business again.

'Well take off your shirt Mr Potter so I can see what needs to be done.' She ordered briskly.

'How did you …?'

'Don't be an idiot harry. You have a large blood stain on your shirt. It's obvious.' Hermione said, sounding more like her usual self that she had all morning.

I smiled a little at her and did as I had been asked. Madam Pomfrey froze in shock as the injury was revealed.

'Well?' I prompted when the silence became uncomfortable.

'What did this Potter?' She asked in a slightly horrified voice.

'The killing curse,' I replied cautiously, waiting for her to burst into tears or faint, or something along those lines. Instead of the reaction I had been expecting she just nodded and began to work.

'There's not much I can do for this potter,' she said, regaining her usual matter of fact voice, 'but I can get the infection out of it. Why you didn't come to see me immediately after the fighting I will never understand.'

She continued to tell me off as she worked, managing to clean the infection but nothing more. The blood continuing to seep out of the wound had gotten slower, but nothing she did could stop it.

'That's all I can do,' she said finally slipping her want back into the apron. 'It will heal but you'll have a scar.' He eyes flitted up to my forehead 'But you probably knew that already.' I nodded and put my t shirt back on, ignoring the pain in my chest as I raised my arms.

When we got back to the Weasleys Bill and fleur had returned, and George was pulled to his feet by his father and Ron and Charlie both picked up Fred's body, looking pale. I heard Molly begin to sob again and Percy's murmured as he attempted to comfort her. Together we touched the Port key that Professor Mcgonagall had set up for us and in no time were standing, or sprawled on the cool grass outside the burrow.

* * *

**Ok here's chapter three :) Thanks again for your reviews, follows and favourites. I'm going to answer the reviews tomorrow, when I've finished the chapters for my two other stories.**

**Hope you enjoyed it :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_The rest of the morning is tense, and I notice all three of my children keeping their distance from me. Ginny moves from room to room, making sure that everyone has everything they need. Lily manages to lose her glasses twice more, and nearly starting arguments with Albus both times, demanding he tell her what he's done with them, only to find them later on her bed or in the bag that she has packed to go to the burrow._

_Having regained my temper as fast as I lost it I deal with them, while Ginny spends the time telling James exactly what he can and cannot do. His ears have turned red, much like his uncle's do, by the time we are all standing in front of the fire place, and he looks distinctly sulky._

'_Me first,' Lily chimes, and takes some floo powder from the pot that I am holding out. Confidently she steps into the flames and shouts 'The burrow,' before disappearing before our eyes. Albus and James both disappear quickly afterwards, and then Ginny steps up to me._

'_I love you,' she says quietly to me, and gently places her hand on my cheek. I lean into it and give her a smile before she takes a handful of the powder and follows our children, doubtless dreading what she will find when she gets there. When she is gone I charm the fire away and then apparate to the gardens of the burrow. _

_As soon as I reappear in the garden I see Ron and Hermione, staring at me in more than a little amusement. It doesn't take me long to find out why. George's children, Roxanne and Fred Jr., have apparently taken it among themselves to turn the area that is designated for us to aparated to into something that wobbles with a jelly like consistency. I don't realise this until I take a step and go flying . At this the crowd in front of my roars with laughter, and I am helped up by a grinning George, with Ron moving to stand beside him. _

'_I take it I have you to thank for that.' I say grinning. _

'_Actually no,' George says beaming, 'That little trick was Ron's idea.' _

'_Yeah,' Ron chimes in, 'Jelly beans, Just throw some onto the floor and it will turn to jelly, while still looking safe to walk on. Fool proof way to trick any unsuspecting parent or teacher.'_

'_I forbid you to give any to James,' I say laughing, 'Our floors will never be safe to walk on again.'_

* * *

**Ron**

When they got to the Burrow, Ron almost immediately felt the urge to drop the cold stiff body that used to be his brother. All that he wanted to do in that moment was rush up to his room, lay on the bed and break into some very unmanly tears. But he didn't. Instead he moved Fred with Charlie into the garden. Together they placed the body onto a table that had been conjured by Bill and placed and Hermione cast and impervious spell on the body so that nothing could disturb it until the funeral the next afternoon.

They all stood there and looked at the body for a few minutes, taking in the wrongness of the situation. To Ron's surprise George was the first on to leave it, and he distantly heard his older brother almost running up the stairs and the slam of the door that led into the room he had shared with Fred. At the sound of the slamming door his mother immediately burst into renewed sobs and Arthur and Percy took her by each arm and led her into the house Vaguely he heard Ginny start to sniffle as well and she also was led into the house by Harry, closely followed by Charlie.

Now the only people left in front of Fred were Himself and Hermione. She slipped her hand in his and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel the material there beginning to dampen as her silent tears soaked into his shirt. She squeezed his hand gently and he returned the pressure.

After a time, that could have been minutes or an hour, they turned to join the rest of his family in the house, and start to find a new normal in the light of everything that had happened.

* * *

**George**

As soon as he got into the room he gave himself over to the fury that has been filling him since he'd first found out. He raised his wand and summoned a cardboard box from across the room and began to stuff order forms, and the pictures that littered the wall into it. All of the things that reminded him of Fred were hurled unceremoniously in, including a mirror that shattered as soon as it hit something solid.

Once the box full of paper, broken glass and the remaining stock that they had left their for the shop were all in the box, and he had crammed it under Fred's bed he collapsed onto his own, and for the first time began to try and scream out his pain into the pillow

'George?,' He didn't look up to see who had entered the room, just continued to scream

* * *

**Ginny**

Ginny was the first to stop crying when they walked into the house. She still felt fragile and as though she could cry again with the slightest push, but she needed to pull herself together. Harry had brought her into her small room and was sitting with her wrapped in his arms, stroking her hair, and had been mumbling words to her as she wept against him.

Slowly she pulled away from him, and saw her own grief mirrored in his eyes.

'Thanks,' She said in a shaky voice ,'At some point I hope I'll stop being such a mess.'

He didn't say anything to that, just laughed a little and then kissed her lightly on the mouth. To her utter horror she felt the tears start up again, and desperately tried to blink them away, but they began to fall thick and fast once again, only this time without the broken hearted sobbing.

She felt Harry try to pull away, but tightened her grip abound him. The kiss was long and slow and the presence of tears only made the moment more intimate. There wasn't any desperate urge to forget this time, it was just two people who were unbearably sad at the death of someone they both loved mourning together and taking strength from the mere fact that they still had each other.

Ginny finally broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his.

'We need to see if the others are ok,' She whispered and he nodded, but kept his eyes shut. Slowly they moved off the bed and towards the door. The parted at the landing of the second floor. He gave her a look as she motioned for him to go down the stairs and then headed for her destination.

She had just stretched out a hand to knock on George's room when she heard the worst noise she could imagine start in it. The scream that came from it was so haunted with pain and misery that she almost ran after Harry. But she didn't and instead summoned every bit of courage she had and opened the door. She was in no way prepared for what she saw. Every single thing that had adorned the room had vanished, apart from the occasional corner of a piece of paper which hung on the wall, and Ginny guessed that George had probably ripped them down forcibly. George himself was flung on the bed, and though his face was pressed hard into a pillow it didn't help much in muffling the sounds he was making.

'George,' She whispered hesitantly. His screams faltered a little but he didn't look up and just carried right on. She moved across the room quickly and sat next to him on the bed. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. Then he stopped screaming and gripped her hand back so tightly as though it was a rope dragging him out of the water he was drowning in.

'Ginny?' He asked in a voice that sounded scratchy and strained, 'what…?'

'Well clearly you needed someone,' she said, with an affectionate sort of mockery.

He sat up, never losing her hand and looked at her. His face looked like it belonged to a man who had lost everything, and the loss had destroyed him.

'What do I do now Gin?' She couldn't stop the wince that the sound of his voice caused. George didn't sound like the brother she had grown up with anymore. She had heard him happy and laughing, Upset and Angry mostly with his family but he had always had a confidence and humour underlying his tone through everything. Now his voice was hollow and she felt as if it were the voice of a stranger.

'I don't know George,' She said honestly, 'Whatever the rest of us are going to do I guess. Find a new way of living.'

There was a clatter from outside the door, and then the sound was followed by the distinct sound of Ron's swearing.

'Hey,' He shouted knocking at the door with his usual amount of tact.

'Ron just get in here,' Ginny yelled and the door opened to reveal Ron, covered in head to foot in soot, and with what looked like a fresh gash on his arm.

'What happened,' Ginny demanded and Ron scowled in response.

'Mum's cleaning Bill's room,' he said to futily rub some of the soot away from his face with an equally dirty hand, 'and she cleaned out the fire place. I fell over the bag and then ….' He gestured at himself as an end to the story and Ginny burst out laughing. From the corner of her eye she thought she even saw George's lips twitch as Ron continued to look distinctly disgruntled.

'Come here,' She said exasperated as she pointed her want towards him. He flinched, and she knew that he was remembering the other times she had pointed her wand at him and shown her anger through her famous Bat bogey hex. 'Oh grow up Ron, I'm not going to hex you.'

She flicked it and then said the spell that would clean him off. It got almost all the soot off and he gave her a grateful smile. The both moved back to George and sat on either side of him. George himself just sat there, eyes still trained but not really seeing the spot where Ron had been standing moments before. Ginny exchanged a worried look with Ron and then grasped his hand again.

'George,' Ron said, obviously trying for gentle, 'Fleur's made sandwiches. You should come down and eat with us.'

George just shook his head and shut his eyes at this suggestion.

'Please, you've got to eat something,' Ginny was near tears again but refused to let them fall when her older brother in front of her so obviously needed her to be strong. He just continued to shake his head and then let loose of her hand.

She sighed and stood up, Ron following her lead. When they got to the door she turned around again to look at George who was laying down again, face pressed into the pillows but no longer screaming.

'I'll bring something up for you,' she said quietly before shutting the door with a soft click.

When she made herself turn to face the stairs Ron was standing there, the same worry and sadness she felt mirrored on his face.

'He'll get better Gin,' he said with gentleness in his voice, 'We all will.'

She just nodded and together they went down the stairs, to the unusually quiet kitchen.

* * *

**Ok I'm sorry about how angsty this is so far but I promise I will stop it soon :) thanks for the reviews and favs =] really appreciated. You guys are awesome x**


	5. Chapter 5

_I stand talking with Ron and George, but it isn't long before I hear the sound that makes me groan before I even know what the cause of it is. Ginny is shouting from inside the house, and to my horror Molly's voice is also sound loud and furious from the same direction. As one everyone in the garden turns to stare at the house. Lily comes bounding out the house, obviously wanting to get as far away from the fury of both her mother and grandmother as she can. I catch her collar as she tried to skirt past me and gently, but forcibly bring her to stand in front of me. _

'_What's happened?' I ask in a resigned voice._

'_Al turned James into Lizard.' She says, obviously grinning fondly at the memory. _

'_Of course he did.' I sigh. Ron gives me a sympathetic look as I move, still holding Lily back towards the house. When I enter the kitchen, Ginny is glaring at James, and Molly at Al. Both of them sit staring down at the table. James still looking a bit scaly, with slightly bugging eyes. _

_I let Lily loose when I see the murdourous looks on the two women's faces and she immediately sprints back out the door. _

'_What were you thinking?' Ginny yells, but in a quieter voice than before, still glaring at James, 'You deserve to be turned into a lizard if you dangle your brother over the banister of the three floor drop.'_

'_Not,' Molly interrupts, 'That that makes changing him into a lizard ok.' _

_I sigh. This happens every year, and every year I am surprised at how perfect a team my wife and mother in law are when it comes to telling off my children._

'_It was just a bit of a laugh,' James protests but immediately desists at one look from his grandmother_

'_Can someone please explain what's going on?' I ask from the doorway and all four of them turn to look at me, obviously surprised._

_Ginny recovers first and relates the events of the past ten minutes to me. Apparently when James came through to the burrow he thought it would be fun to use levicorpus on Al, and he had hung at the top lever of the burrow looking down at the sheer drop downwards. Panicing Al had somehow managed to the change James into a small lizard, but not get himself down. This is the state that Ginny had found them in a few minutes later; Al screaming, and James staying as close to the wall as possible. It had taken only a second for Ginny to get Al down, and start James turning back into a boy, and then Molly had heard Ginny yelling at them. At that point I had heard them and come rushing to see what had happened._

'_It's not against the rules,' James says quickly, 'We're allowed to do magic outside school on this holiday thing.' _

_Ginny swells and begins to shout again. I let out my breath and sit down in the seat next to Al, who looks more than a little upset._

'_What's wrong,' I say quietly, so no one else can hear. _

'_I … I don't know how I did that.' He says softly, 'I was scared and then … James… '_

_He trails off so I finish for him. _

'_was a lizard.' He nods and looks even more stricken. I smile a little and decide that now is the time to share a little of my past with him._

'_Did you know that when I James' age I blew up my aunt.' He looks horrified and I rush to clarify. 'Like a balloon Al, she didn't explode.'_

'_Really?' he says, as though he can't imagine anything better. I smile a little and nod. 'The best of us lose control at time.'_

_Ginny huffs from behind me, and it's the first time I notice that the shouting has stopped. I look up at her slowly, and to my relief she is also smiling. Quickly she gestures for the boys to join the others outside and pulls me up to my feet to follow._

'_You know,' she says putting her arm through mine, 'you're going to have to take James' broom now. I groan and we step outside into the very busy garden._

* * *

**Harry**

The day of Fred's funeral was at best quiet and at worst torturous. I don't think that Molly stopped crying the entire day. George was pale and thin, and said very little. The rest of the Weasleys didn't talk much. It was the first time I had ever seen Ginny look lost and vulnerable.

During the ceremony itself she clung to me as though I was the last thing that held her on the planet. Tears fell silently down her cheek and onto my robes. Ron and Hermione stood beside us almost mirroring us. Ron stood stiff and straight, his eyes vacant and not seeing. Hermione rubbed his arm, her own tears falling unacknowledged as she rubbed his arm.

It was with some relief that we started to make our way back to the burrow. Before we went however Hermione raised her wand and conjured a bench that stood facing the Fred's grave. The inscription written on it fitted George so much that it had brought on a fresh wave of tears from everybody.

Fred Gideon Weasley  
1st April 1978 – 2nd May 1998  
Master of pranking and hilarity  
Mischief Managed

When they got back to the house the Weasleys all went to sit in the living room, to talk about their shared memories of Fred whilst Hermione and I moved quietly around the kitchen trying to make a hot drink for everyone. We leaved against the surface while the kettle boiled.

'I feel like an intruder,' she whispered, 'as though we're intruding on the family grief.'

I just nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. The fact that I knew in my head that the Weasleys loved both of us as though we had been born to them made little difference. We still felt like outsiders in these kinds of situations. We didn't talk again, both lost in our own thoughts. Both of us nearly jumped out of our skin when the whistle of the kettle sounded.

* * *

**Ron**

For a long time after Harry and Hermione left for the kitchen the Weasleys didn't speak. Usually in the case of family grief this time after the funeral was reserved for sharing memories. At some point a bottle of fire whiskey would appear and they would drink to his memory. The only problem with it this time talking of Fred meant talking about George too, and it would feel too much like mourning them together.

'When I became a prefect,' Percy started, shocking us all into attentiveness, 'Every time I left my badge in my room I'd come back and it would say something like Pinhead or Prick. Once I found Fred in there on his own trying to get the badge to charm it. He'd found all the other badges I'd had throughout the year with all the different names on them. He thought it was hilarious.'

Ron smiled a little at this, imagining the moment. It was as though Percy's little story had opened a dam of sorts. Everyone began speaking. Even George seemed rallied once Harry and Hermione had returned, with ten steaming mugs of tea floating before them; they began to join with stories of their own.

Harry and Hermione seemed to like the stories of their childhood the most, as they had not heard most of the stories. There was the story about them burning a hole through Ron's tongue with an Acid pop, and the time they turned Ron's teddy into a spider (Ron shuddered at that one), but then there were also storied like the first time Fred held Ginny and refused to let her go.

By the time Arthur had conjured up a bottle of fire whiskey and several small shot glasses the atmosphere in the room had lightened considerable. . Even Gorge had a small smile playing on his lips, obviously immersed in memories of his twin.

'This is how we will get through this,' Ron thought 'our memories of him will help us'

He smiled a little at the thought and raised his glass along with everyone else in a toast to his brother.

* * *

**Ginny**

Ginny lay awake for a long time, thinking over the events of the day. Hermione had fallen straight into an uneasy sleep almost as soon as her head had hit the pillow. She could hear her tossing and turning.

At some point Ginny became aware of Hermione whimpering and immediately got up to try and wake her from whatever horror she was suffering from. Just as she reached the bed she began to scream, a chilling and terrified scream that raised all the hair on Ginny's arms. Quickly she muffled the muffliato spell knowing that Hermione would be mortified if she woke the whole house and the proceeded to shake her arm violently.

She sat bolt upright, covered in a cold sweat and tears falling down her cheeks. Though the screams has stopped Hermione's body was now overcome with sobs. Ginny say down and put her arms around her friend. She had hardly ever seen Hermione break down like this, and it was sobering to witness.

Eventually she managed to pull herself together enough to move away from Ginny looking sheepish.

'Sorry,' she mumbled self-consciously, 'Being silly.'

Ginny just shot her a stern look and she let out a sigh.

'What was it about?' Ginny asked softly, and Hermione paled at the question and shook her head.

'It might make you feel better if you told me,' Ginny coaxed gently and with another sigh Hermione began to tell her.

'When we were … away we got caught and taken to Malfoy manor.' Ginny had known this already but even Harry had refused to tell her about it insisting that it wasn't his story to tell. She nodded sagely and waited for Hermione to continue.

Instead of talking Hermione lifted the sleeve of her light blue pyjamas and revealed a scar that Ginny had never seen before. The word mudblood had been carved into her skin and she felt the blood leave her face and looked back up into the other girls face.

'Bellatrix saw the sword and of course she thought it was in her vault, along with something that Voldermort had asked her to guard for him.' Hermione's voice was so quiet now that ginny had to strain to listen. 'She tortured me, the cruciatus curse and this. I could hear Ron screaming from somewhere too. I've never heard him sound so desperate before or since.'

Her voice trailed off into silence and her eyes became unfocused as she became caught in her memories of horrors passed. Ginny never knew how long they say like that in silence. She couldn't even begin to imagine the nightmare that Hermione had had, but she could fully understand why the three of them woke up screaming regularly.

After a while she dimly became aware of a noise coming from the door, a knocking sound. Slowly she moved towards it and threw it open. In front of her stood a tousle haired, anxious looking Ron, trying to peer around her into the dark room to find Hermione.

'I thought I heard Hermione,' he finally said in answer to his sister's questioning look, 'I wasn't sure if …'

Ginny closed her eyes as though in pain. She could guess what Ron had been about to say. He wasn't sure if it was real or if it was his own nightmares plaguing him.

'Ron,' Hermione's stuffy voice came from the bed and Ginny heard the sound of springs as she got up off the bed. Standing beside Ginny she gave her a pleading look. Sighing Ginny walked out the door. She already knew where she was going to go. If Ron was in her room that meant Harry was alone in Ron's. Quickly she moved towards the stairs, being careful not to make any noise. She could only imagine her mother's reaction if she found either of her or Ron alone in a bedroom with Harry and Hermione in the middle of the night.

* * *

**OK I'm back with this one. Honestly the little interlude thing at the beginning of this was what was causing me so much trouble. thanks for your follows, favs and reviews for this. I'll try to update some what more often from this point onwards.**

**Let me know what you think please :) **


	6. Chapter 6

_When we get back out to the garden Molly is already moaning to Arthur about the fact that Percy's family and Teddy are late. _

'_Molly dear they'll be fine,' he reassures her sounding slightly exasperated, 'You know what Dromeda is like with Teddy and Percy is probably struggling with Lucy.' _

_Despite his reassurances Molly still continues to worry. Molly rolls her eyes and we walk towards Ron and Hermione. They seem to be having an argument in low voices, although this isn't what grabs my attention. Hermione seems to be holding back some big emotion, and her eyes are swimming with tears._

'_No doubt Ron's said something tactless,' I think to myself as we approach them. _

'_Ron what did you do,' Ginny says to him as soon as we are close. Ron glares at her in response but doesn't get the chance to say anything as a crack fills the air. Looking around I see that Teddy has just aparated into the clearing. With his uncanny ability to spot the pranks of his adoptive family he hops over the span of the jellied area, using the bouncy surface as a sort of spring. _

'_Teddy,' Victoire's shriek of joy sounds loud across the garden and Ron is nearly sent flying when our niece barrels towards Teddy. Without any shame or hesitation she throws her arms around him and clings to him in a way that has every red headed uncle in the area starting towards them, shouting their disapproval. _

_When they disperse from around them Victoire is having an argument with her father and everything about Teddy is red, including his hair. He ruffles his hair in an embarrassed manner with his hand and starts towards us. Before he can take more than a few steps he is again accosted by my sons, and Fred Jr. _

'_How did you know,' Fred demands, with an outrage that only a nine year old can have at being outsmarted. Teddy laughs and ruffles his hair in the way that everyone who knows him is aware that he hates. Sure enough he grumbles and runs off again in search of his older sister. _

'_You're here!' James says excitedly, 'And you're in trouble.' The glee in my son's voice is almost indecent and Ginny next to me rolls her eyes. Al doesn't say anything, just beams up at teddy with the same look of hero worship that he has always reserved for him. _

'_Where's Lilybug?' Teddy asks, looking around the garden and Al makes a face at him._

'_Who cares,' he says in a disgruntled voice, 'You kissed Victoire.'_

_Albus sounds amazed and disgusted in equal measure. Teddy's hair, which had previously been fading back to a light brown like Remus's, flames again in renewed embarrassment. He glances up and blanches when he sees that Bill, Charlie, George and Ron are all still glaring at him. _

'_Please don't say that too loud,' he pleads, and I hear Ginny groan. This is the worst thing to say to James. Sure enough a minute late James is sprinting around the garden shouting that Teddy kissed Victoire at the top of his lungs for everyone to hear. The only thing that breaks through his gleeful shouting is a small voice coming from the direction to the kitchen door._

'_Teddy and Victoire!' Lucy, the youngest of the Weasley grandchildren at five years old, is standing in the doorway, closely shadowed by Audrey. There is no sign of Percy or Molly Jr but Lucy looks so happy at the idea of anyone kissing that it breaks both the tension and the stream of James' annoying shouting. _

_With a joyous shout Molly steps forward and swings her granddaughter into her arms. She giggles and gives her grandmother a kiss on the cheek. _

* * *

**Harry**

After being woken up by Ron sprinting out of the room like a bat out of hell I laid staring at the ceiling for a long time. I didn't ask why he was in such a hurry. I had also faintly heard the sounds of Hermione screaming when I woke.

I was just beginning to doze again when a soft knock sounded from my own door. I was just about to get off the bed to see who it was when Ginny opened the door and tentatively looked around it to look at me.

'Did I wake you up,' She whispered softly and I shook my head. 'Why are you awake?' She asked, although she looked pleased.

'Ron woke me up,' I said, and she nodded.

'He's in my room with Hermione now,' she rolled her eyes, although it didn't look as if her heart was in it and then continued in a much more mournful voice, 'she had a nightmare. It was … bad.'

I opened my arms to her and immediately she walked into them and buried her face in my chest. I winced as I felt it in my new scar, but ignored the pain.

'I hate this,' she murmured and looked up into my face. I leant down into her and planted a light kiss on her lips. She reciprocated violently, managing to part my lips with her tongue. Before I had time to gather my thoughts our tongues fought for domination, caressing each other.

It took every ounce of restraint I had to pull away from her. We both sat on the bed panting. I am sure that at that moment my eyes matched her own. Her eyes were dark and her pupils were dilated with want as she stared back into mine.

'Please Harry,' She implored me quietly with a groan I felt the last of my restraint snapped. Our lips crashed back together, and this time our hands were feverish. I thrust my fingers into her hair while hers were working her ways down the buttons on my pajama top.

'Stop,' I breathed into her ear and she pulled back to look at me quizzically. 'Not the top, please Gin.' I implored her. I didn't want the sight of my bruised and damaged chest to ruin this. She seemed to agree with the assessment after thinking about it and nodded her assent. Before we could do anything else after that her hands had moved to the hem of her own top and in one swift move she had it off.

We continued like this, hands roving over each other's bodies, touching, feeling and just experiencing being alive after a day of such misery. It soon became an effort to hide my erection from her, and I was immensely grateful that the lights weren't on. My efforts however were soon needless as I felt her hand touch me through the fabric of my pajama bottoms. I closed my eyes at the sensation of it, and sucked in a sharp breath.

I expected her to make a comment on it, but as always she surprised me and stayed silent. Still kissing me, she began to rub me slowly, and I moaned into her mouth. Soon after she stopped and then I felt her hand dip under the waistband of pajama bottoms. Her small fingers gripped me firmly, and she begins to move.

I tried to stop her, knowing that I wouldn't last long but she ignored me and just started to move faster. It became impossible to focus on kissing after that and I lowered my head to the crook of her neck.

'Gin,' I rasped, 'you're going to have to stop or …'

'Or what,' She whispered, never stopping the movement of her small and devilish hand. By this point I was panting and could feel the pressure building inside me. I try again.

'Or I'm …' I can't continue as this is the point my traitorous body decides to let go. I groan my release, jerking against her. When I came back to earth I could feel the stickiness in my pajama bottoms and my face heated up.

'Gin …' Once again I am cut off mid speech, but this time it is not by anything nearly so pleasurable.

* * *

**Ron**

As soon as Ginny was out the door Hermione fell into his arms, sobbing.

'Oh Ron,' she sobbed, as he patted her awkwardly on the back, at a loss of what to do to comfort her.

'What is it?' he asked perplexed but gentle, 'What did you dream about.'

She just shook her head into his chest, and kept right on sobbing. It took a long time for her to calm down, but eventually she tears subsided into halting breaths. Ron kissed her hair, unsure of what else to do apart from hold her. Apparently this was all he needed to do, as she looked up and beamed at him a few minutes later.

'Sorry,' she whispered,' eyes still watering slightly, but obviously herself again.

For a few minutes more they sat and just talked about anything and everything they could think of before the subject turned to Harry.

'Is Harry ok?' Hermione asked, looking a little sheepish for not asking before.

Ron shrugged. 'I don't know. Probably not, but you know what he's like. He wouldn't say if anything was up, and he'd just feel guilty for saying anything now.'

Hermione nodded sagely, 'Well at least he has Ginny to talk to.' She laughed when Ron gave her a dirty look, 'She's of age next week you know. She's not exactly In need of your protection either. In fact if you tried you'd probably be the one in need of protection.'

'I wonder where she's gone off to anyway.' Hermione gave him a 'Don't be an idiot look at that. 'What?'

'Oh Ron, isn't it obvious,' she sighed in an exasperated voice and when Ron continued to look clueless she added, 'She's with Harry of course.'

At this Ron immediately leapt up from the bed and began marching towards the door. He only just caught her amused chuckle before the door the Ginny's room closed behind him.

* * *

Ron reached his bedroom door just in time to hear a low long groan coming from his room.

'In my room, really?' he muttered to himself and then threw the door open. The looks on their faces were almost comical. They looked so guilty, and Ginny quickly removed her hands from the front of Harry's trousers.

Scowling Ron moved slowly towards a paralysed Harry, and hit him hard on the arm.

'Ow!' Harry protested, but continued to look sheepish. Ginny however looked at her brother with a mixture of resentment and amusement.

'Just thought you'd barge in without knocking did you Ron?' she asked and Ron turned to glare at her.

'In case you hadn't noticed,' he said in an outraged voice, 'This is my bloody room.'

'Well you obviously know what we were doing, as you've probably just given Harry a dead arm.'

Ron's scowl deepened, but he caught Harry's 'Please stop talking now,' look in his sisters direction.

He wasn't as annoyed as he would have been before. As far as he was concerned as long as he didn't see it or hear it he was glad that Ginny was with Harry rather than any of the other idiots she had gone out with. Unfortunately he had both seen and heard part of what they were doing and that annoyed him.

'Ginny shook her head at him, smiling slightly and walked out of the door leaving a nervous looking Harry sitting on the bed and watching Ron move across the room to his bed.

For a long time they sat in silence, Harry nervous and Ron looking up at the ceiling annoyed. Finally Ron decided that it was up to him to break the silence.

'Never,' he said in a measured voice, 'Do anything like that in my bedroom ever again.'

He turned to look at his best friend, who gave him a sheepish grin and got up off the bed. Ron propped himself up on his elbows as he watched harry start to rifle through the bag with his clothes in it.

'What are you doing?' Ron asked confused.

'I need to change my pajama bottoms,' Harry said, not looking at Ron as he pulled out a pair. Groaning Ron fell back onto the pillows, and let Harry leave the room to go to the bathroom without another comment.

* * *

**Ok so there is the first sex scene out of the way. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. The interludes take a while to look right to me, and I found myself changing tenses a lot during Harry's little scene. **

**Hope you enjoyed it. I know that Ron reacts badly in the books to Harry and Ginny but I figured that the events in the last book would have matured him a lot as a person so …. Yeah.**

**Thank you for all the favourites follows and reviews :) please keep them coming as they are greatly appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Lucy is still in her grandmothers arms when Percy and a very sullen looking Molly come walking out of the Burrow. Molly visibly relaxed when she sees them, and now it is clear that everybody is accounted for she beams and sets the now squirming Lucy on the floor. _

'_Now that everyone is here,' she says, smiling broadly, 'we can eat.'_

_Everyone in the garden turns to her expectantly. The yearly picnic in the burrow's garden is a treat for everyone. For the kids it is a chance for them to all be together in the same place, something that rarely happens what with their being so many of them, and for the adults it's a chance to catch up. _

_Ginny and Hermione step beside Mrs Weasley and they bring out they wands. After several quick flicks of their wands the ground is covered with four picnic blankets, a long table for the adults and an even longer table covered in a blue table cloth for the food. With another series of flicks there is food soaring out of the open door from the kitchen and setting themselves neatly and carefully on the table until it is groaning under the weight of so much of Mrs Weasleys excellently prepared food._

_As soon as everything is settled there is a flurry of movement, as all the kids split into groups an all the adults head to the table. I seat myself in between Ginny and Ron, then look up to see Victoire in a heated argument with Bill, over the fact that she is going to be sitting with Teddy. I smile a little at the thought that these kids suffer with their dads in exactly the same way that Ginny did. _

_I scan the mass of kids, looking for my own and find that James and Al are in a group with Roxanne, Fred Jr, Dominique and of course Lucy, James' biggest fan. Lily has joined a group with Hugo, Victoire Teddy and Molly. Of course this is likely to change throughout the picnic but I tend to take it as an opportunity to find out how they are all responding to each other. Last year Albus and James weren't talking, and James was made to eat on his own, to stop him from jinxing his brother from another blanket. _

_When Molly declares that we can now start we swarm the food table. She really has outdone herself this year. Not only are there the usual sausage rolls and scotch eggs of the usual picnic but there are also soups, shepherds pit and the biggest selection of deserts that I have only ever seen the likes of at Hogwarts. _

'_Macaroni cheese!' I hear Lily exclaim, obviously delighted._

'_Who cares?' James responds, 'There's a custard tart up here.'_

'_James!' Savoury first, sweet later.' Ginny scolds firmly and my son walks past us to the other end of the table, shooting a mutinous look at his mother as he does so._

_Once out plates are all heaving with the mouth-watering feast that has been prepared for us the day really begins. I listen more than I talk. I hear Dominique talking to Roxanne about how Victoire (otherwise known as her perfect sister) is on her way to getting ten outstanding NEWTs and is still always surrounded by friends. I hear Percy telling Mr Weasley that they and Mr and Mrs Weasley have been invited to Audrey's parents the next week for dinner. This is something that makes Arthur almost ecstatic with joy, seeing that Audrey and her parents are all muggles. _

'_And of course Rose is now good friends with Scorpious Malfoy.' Hermione says offhandedly to Ginny, causing both Harry and Ron to choke on their food. _

'_What?' Ron bellowed, and Hermione shot him a quelling look before explaining further._

'_Yes, I hear they hit it off straight away, seeing as they are in the same house.'_

'_Draco Malfoy's son is in Gryffindor?' Harry asked, feeling a mixture of horror and amusement at the prospect. Hermione nodded and then Harry thought of something else. 'But that would mean that Al shares a dorm with him. He never mentioned that?'_

'_Of course he didn't.' Ginny chimed in, 'They know how much you two dislike the Malfoys. Don't be thick.'_

_Harry exchanged a bemused look with Ron, and then asked another question._

'_Are Al and Scorpious friends too?' he asked, genuinely curious and Hermione nodded._

'_Blimey,' Ron breathed, 'Dad is going to be furious.'_

* * *

**Harry**

I woke two days after Fred's funeral with a sick feeling firmly taking root in my stomach. It was the day of Remus and Tonks burial. A day I had been dreading ever since the moment I had seen their bodies in the great hall.

It would also be the first time I would meet my godson, the child I had resigned to the life of being an orphan. I closed my eyes and shuddered. This was going to be a hard day and I knew it.

'Harry mate?' Ron said from across the room. I could hear the concern in his voice and looked over at him. He was propped up in bed, head resting on his hand and looking at me with a worried expression on his face.

I blinked at him, but apart from that I didn't react. I didn't know what to say or do. I didn't need to tell him what I was feeling, he knew me well enough to have guessed, and besides guys don't like talking about their feelings with each other. It just isn't done.

We got dressed in double time, me because I was too bust wallowing in my own troubled thoughts, and Ron because I think he genuinely did now know what to say to me when was in that kind of mood.

We all aparated to the garden of Andromeda Tonks, except Ginny who went using side along apparition. Like she said they would be Andromeda was standing by the back door of her house looking lost and confused and clutching a grinning baby, whose hair was a honey blonde colour.

I froze at the sight of him, and in th next instant Ginny and Hermione are on either side of me, and pushed me towards them. I moved as though I was in a daze until I was standing directly in front of them.

'I am so sorry,' I rasped, and she looks into my face and gives me a small smile.

'It's not your fault Harry,' she told me, and I don't know whether it was because I hardly knew this woman, or because she had lost everything, but the fact that she didn't blame me helped to erase some of the guilt that had been consuming me since that awful night.

I nod at her, and without another word she holds the infant in her arms out to me. He is just two weeks old, and I can see both his parents in his face. I took him from her and held this tiny little piece of his parents in my arms. I think he was curious, and he cooed up at me, looking at me with large dark eyes, that are so much like his mother's that it gave me a shock. His nose and eyes were his mothers, but the rest of his face so greatly resembled Remus that I felt the overwhelming urge to scream begin to build up in me, but I contained it. I couldn't stop staring at him.

I don't know how long I stood there just staring at the miracle in my arms but the next thing I knew Ginny was standing next to me, and also looking down into the babies face.

'Can I …' she trails off, not taking her eyes of Teddy. I nod and carefully and awkwardly I place him in her waiting arms.

* * *

**Hermione**

It took a long time for everyone to hold and meet baby Teddy, and when he was finally passed to Hermione she was dismayed to find that she was the only one who he cried for. She looked up at Ron in confusion to find that he was regarding her with amusement.

'Not a baby person then.' He said sardonically, and she passed the baby quickly onto George and nudged Ron hard in the ribs.

The levity is quickly brought to a halt when we hear a clock inside Andromeda's house chime twelve. As one the party turned towards the gate, and together they started walking.

The funeral was one of the saddest occasions Hermione could ever remember attending. Although she hadn't been as close with Remus and Tonks as she had been with Fred, the reactions of the other mourners were much more effective. Fred's funeral had been carried out in a silent respectful manner, and though there was the same atmosphere of sadness here, Teddy's constant cooing only served as a reminder to what these two had so recently gained and had lost so quickly.

Hermione couldn't help but shoot looks at Harry, who was standing stiffly and slightly apart from everyone else. She knew that Harry being Harry blamed himself for not giving him up sooner and it was no use telling him that this wasn't his fault. They had all already told him that until they were blue in the face but nothing ever seemed to get through with him. His feeling of responsibility was so great that it would brook no argument.

* * *

**Ron**

The day had been grim, but then again every day for the past year had been. Harry had shut himself in the room he shared with Ron as soon as they'd got back, and when Ron had tried to follow Hermione had held him back.

For the past three hours they had sat in Andromeda Tonk's house exchanging stories of Remus and Tonks and during the whole thing Ron had noticed the colour and energe slowly draining out of Harry.

'Ron,' Hermione called him out of his reverie and he turned to face her where she was lying next to him on the grass. 'I need to go and find my parents.'

He blinked at her. He felt as though he had missed an entire conversation.

'What?' he asked and she rolled her eyes at him.

'My parents Ronald. They're still in Australia. I want to go and find them.'

'Oh. Okay. I suppose that's reasonable. Do you know where they are?'

She shook her head, and then looked away from him. 'I know they went to Sydney. I don't know where about they are there though.'

'When will you go?' Ron asked, and she looked at him incredulously.

'When will I go?'

'Yes. What's strange about me asking that?'

She laughed a little and leaned forward to stroke his face.

'Oh Ronald. That depends on you.'

'Me?' He was truly confused now. What on earth was she talking about.

'Yes,' she said, and smiled at him, 'I want you to come with me. Don't you want to?'

'Of course I do,' he said quickly, 'I'd love to. I just thought you'd want to do this on your own.'

'Oh Ronald.' She said exasperated, giving him a 'you really are an idiot' look and then giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. 'Of course I want you to go with me. I just need to know when you think … when it would be ok to leave your family. It could take months. I need a few weeks here first to sort out things here and then arrange things there to make them easier to find, but I don't know how long it is going to take to find them, and then remove the enchantment.'

Ron just stared at her as though she was a previously unknown plant that had suddenly sprung up beside him. She had asked him to live with her alone for a month. This is something that no eighteen year old boy could ever refuse.

* * *

**OK so I've updated my other four stories, now time for this one. I'm not sure about the interlude but I think I did the characters justice. I think I may have to start doing separate POVs for the interludes as I'm finding it difficult to cover all the characters in the depth I want to. If you don't like that idea let me know and if people hate it that much I'll try to sort out a different way to do it.**

**Thanks for the reviews and favourites once more. It's greatly appreciated :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Dominique's POV**

I am in a particularly grouchy mood for most of the morning since my sister decided to kiss Teddy Lupin. She ignores my glares with a skill that has been honed over years of practise. My prefect sister can do no wrong. Even after the scene she put on when Teddy arrived she didn't exactly stay in trouble. She's all over him at the moment. She even looks perfect, managing to get the best part of what our parents have to give.

She is the spitting image of our mother, somehow managing to evade the usual Weasley freckles. A sheet of silver blonde hair falls in a sheet down her back, waving like out fathers hair in all the right places. Her eyes are the same pale blue as hers as well. If it for the shape of her jaw she would be the spitting image of mum. Her personality is much like dads, laughing and joking all the time, but also serious when she thinks that Louis or I am crossing some line.

Louis is much the same, only he can and does do wrong all the time. Same silver blue hair, same obvious connection to our Weasley heritage, but with freckles dotted here and there across his face. Unlike mine it makes him look cute, and I've seen girls at school openly gawking at him as he walks past. In contrast with Victoir his face is almost exactly the same as our fathers and has the same blue eyes.

And then theres me. Dominique Isabelle Weasley; The only one of my parents three children to have inherited ginger hair, and an even amount of out parents features. I look odd and I know it. My red hair flicks in all the wrong places, and no one gawks at me as I walk past unless I'm falling over. I am from a family of graceful women and there is absolutely nothing graceful around me.

'What you thinking about Dom,' Roxie asks me and I turn to look at her.

'Nothing,' I say wistfully, picking at my scotch egg with my abnormally short fingers.

'Are you brooding again,' she laughs, 'seriously you need to stop.'

'That's easy for you to say. You're gorgeous.' I say sulkily.

She rolls her eyes at me, like she always does when I get like this.

'So are you idiot, everyone's told you that before. It's not our fault you don't listen.'

She tried to enlist Al's help but his only contribution is that girls are weird and I am at least better than his sister.

I sigh and then look over at my brother. He is laughing uncontrollably at something Hugo's said, and he looks more beautiful than ever. Molly is glaring at them with her perfected look of disapproval, and I can guess that whatever has been said was at her expense. I feel sorry for Mol sometimes but she really does bring it on herself.

'Dom,' James drawls at me, in the way he knows annoys his entire family, 'stop the sibling rivalry. Roxie and Fred are about to ask me to recount my most recent tale of misbehaviour.'

I stare back at him in some confusion. I hadn't heard that there was even a story to tell, but my melancholy shifts gradually to humour as he recounts a story about him running from Filch toilet seat in hand and managing to send it to our uncle George using his own Eagle owl, Zeus and Al's smaller tawny owl Bracken. I know that he is probably in serious trouble with his parents for it now, but the good thing about James is that he never lets little things about consequences get in the way of his single minded devotion to causing chaos.

* * *

**Ginny's POV**

Two months after the funeral, on the thirty first of July Hermione woke Ginny up with a yell.

'Ginny wake up!' she said insistently in her hear, and my her eyes fluttered open, 'You're as bad as your brother you know.'

Ginny just groaned in response to her and rolled over to face the wall.

'Ginny wake up,' she says again, poking Ginny roughly in the side.

'What's so important,' she mumbled, desperately trying to tune her out, and get back to the dream she's been having of Her and Harry flying together on his firebolt.

'It's your boyfriend's birthday,' she announces as though this should be obvious, and really she thought that it should have been.

'Oh god.' Ginny groaned again, and finally she raised herself to a sitting position.

'Did you forget?' Hermione asked incredulous.

'No I didn't forget. I haven't been awake long enough to forget anything yet.'

I swung my legs over the bed and slowly got to my feet, moving slowly around the room grabbing some jeans and a T-shirt I'd managed to find bearing the moving figures of the Holyhead Harpies. She exited the room without looking at Hermione, who was of course already dressed and ready, and headed out to the bathroom for a shower.

* * *

**Harry's POV**

Ron had been unusually attentive that morning, pushing me to get out of bed and throwing random bits of clothes at me in an attempt to get me ready faster. Surely being my birthday meant that I could have a lie in, but no. It meant being rudely awoken an hour before anyone in the hour usually even stirred.

I got washed and dressed slowly, just to annoy Ron, and sure enough when I returned to our room he scowled at me.

'You took your time,' he moaned at me.

'Yes. Yes I did. My birthday present to myself,' I said smugly.

'Well it's better than the one you gave yourself last year. A poke the eye with your glasses and a untyable knot in your shoelaces.'

Ron seemed to brighten at the memory of being able to use magic outside school for the first time and once again began to pushing me to move faster as I picked up my wand, and was literally shoved out of the door.

* * *

We met Hermione and Ginny on the stairs and to my surprise Ginny looked as harassed as I did. When we get to the kitchen there are two small mountains of present on the table, one much smaller than the other. I move towards it, and Ginny is also pushed in the same direction looking stunned.

'Why?' Ginny asked, now looking amused, but no answer came except Ron sitting her in front of the smaller pile that had maybe seven presents on it.

'It's not my birthday until mid-August,' Ginny said in stunned surprise. I didn't argue, just sat in the chair next to her and look at my best friend expectantly. Obviously they had lost their minds so I guessed that I should just play along.

'With me and Ron going away to Australia tomorrow we wanted to make today special,' Hermione said, beaming at us both.

'Yeah,' Ron said with his usual grace, 'and I didn't want to miss my little sister coming of age so mum said that you could have a half celebration today with Harry.'

'Oh,' Ginny said from next to me, obviously not having expected such thought from such an unexpected quarter.

'Well,' Said Ron sounding much more like himself, 'Open your present then.'

And open them they did. Harry received a marble cake from Hagrid, that had the same texture as marble, A book from Hermione on 'Great Aurors of our time,' He stopped a bit as one of the larger packages, apparently from Ron made a noise and he guessed what it was and looked at him. Ron shrugged.

'You can't mourn her forever mate,' he said sadly, and Harry ripped open the package to find a paint of large dark green eyes staring back at him, regarding him with interest. The owl was about the same size Hedwig had been, but unlike her it was not pure white. The white of her feathers was separated but brown and black ones, making he look like she was wearing a coat.

Harry looked back at Ron, who seemed delighted at the reception of his present.

'It's a barred owl. I thought she looked pretty cool, and I thought you'd like her.'

Harry opened his mouth, close it again, and then tried once more.

'She's great,' he said, and he meant it. He still missed Hedwig, and always would, but Hedwig was part of his past now and he needed to move onto his future. 'Now I just need to think of a name.'

* * *

**Molly's POV**

Molly watched in silence as Ginny and Harry worked their way through they presents. The last present that Harry opened was small, and he didin't read the card before ripping it open. Inside was a photo album, I imagine it was a lot like the one that Hargid had given him of his parents.

He flicked through it slowly, looking from picture to picture, then set it down and walked out of the room without a word. Ginny, looking curious and worried at the same time picked it up and also started to flick through it and set it down almost immediately as she worked out what it was.

She picked up the card that Harry had missed next and read it aloud.

'Dear Harry, We know how you feel, and you know that we love you. Try and remember everyone the way they are in the pictures and forget the bad things that they went through. It isn't your fault. Just be happy for the happiness you shared with them and us.

Molly and Arthur.'

Ginny looked up and her mother, her eyes shining with tears as she did do.

'Oh mum,' she said quietly, 'How long did this take you.'

Molly sighed, thinking of the night they had gotten back from Tonks and Remus' funeral and sent out messages asking for pictures of Remus, Tonks, Fred and others both living and dead who harry loved. Since then they had been sorting out the album, and had hoped that Harry could use it as a way to get past the guilt he was feeling. She wasn't sure if would work; especially now Harry had left the room. Obviously it had been a shock for him and Molly hoped that this was just the initial surprise working its way through him.

'Not long,' she said finally, and turned back to cooking breakfast, hiding her face from her two youngest children and Hermione. She could head Ron and Hermione take seats behind Ginny, and then their murmured conversation as they discussed each picture. She knew when they'd gotten to the pictures of Harry Ron and Hermione through their years of Hogwarts because their tones got warmer, and they started to laugh a little.

Molly wondered if Harry had gotten to that stage, but decided that when he was ready he would return to the book and look at it in more detail

* * *

**I'm trying for closure people. I know a couple of chapters ago I said that Ginny came of age next month … and it was May. Sorry I looked it up afterwards and found our when her birthday is, so sorry for my mistake.**

**Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites. You may have noticed I have no life at the moment so most of my time is spent writing, hence the frequent updating at the moment.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Teddy's Lupin**

It feels like I've been here and age when really it's been less than an hour. I am eternally grateful to little Lucy for pulling everyone's focus off of Victoire and me and onto herself.

I glance over at my girlfriend, wondering if she'll look back. Absentmindedly I drop all of the custom features off my face so that my hair is my father's shade of light brown and my eyes are the dark brown of my grandmother and my mother's natural shade. These are the only people who actually know what I really look like without all the modifications. I don't know if my mother did this or not. I think that she probably did for my father but then they were married for less than a year before they died in the battle.

Every year this day brings up all kinds of feelings for me but the main one is guilt. I always feel that I should be more upset, that this day of all days should be the day that I realise what I lost when I was so small. The truth is that while I miss them I feel like one of the luckiest people on earth. I have grown up surrounded by the biggest and best family I can imagine. I have my grandmother as a surrogate mother and then I also have Harry and Ginny as another side of my family. James, Al and Lily have always seemed like siblings to me. I know that Harry has always felt as though a part of him is missing without his parents, but I never have. I've spoken with him about it before and he thinks that it's because I grew up surrounded by a loving family, something he never knew until he was eleven. This may be the case but it doesn't stop me feeling guilty, as though I'm somehow betraying my parents by not missing them as much as I should.

My thoughts are interrupted by the feelings of someone blowing in my left ear. I look around to see Fred there, wearing the evil grin he always wears when someone is about to fall prey to one of his attacks. I doubt it will be me though, he knows better than to try.

'What are you up to,' I ask amused. His eyes flicker towards James and back to me.

'Do you want to get James back,' he whispers conspiratorially.

I laugh, and glance over at the little devil that remains completely unaware that he is in a certain degree of danger. I catch sight of Roxanne as I do, noticing that she looks sulky, glaring at her brother venomously.

'What's wrong with your sister?' I ask, and his eyes flicker to her, looking guilty. When he doesn't answer I raise me eyebrows.

'She wants to help with the prank but I said no.'

'Why did you do that?'

'Because I thought you'd want to get him back for shouting about you and Vicky.'

It is a struggle not to laugh as I look at him. He is so thoughtful for a nine year old, but also such a devil. James is the worst in terms of mischief in the family but he works on his own. It is infinitely more dangerous to get Roxanne or Fred's attention on you as they work as a team, and are very good at what they do.

'Why don't you to carry it out and just let me know when to watch.' I suggest, and he beams. Clearly he would rather work with his older sister.

I turn to talk to Victoire, but almost as soon as I turn towards her I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see that James has wondered over.

'What did Fred want?' he asks. Clearly he wasn't as oblivious as I'd thought.

'He wanted help with a prank.' I tell him. It's not a lie, but not the whole truth either.

'Who is he pranking?' Oh dear, may need to do some quick thinking.

'Roxanne,' I say quickly, thinking that that is the only reason that would explain why it isn't them planning together. He nods as though this makes sense and an evil grin spreads across his face. I hate that grin. It never signifies anything good. He looks at me, then at Victoire.

'Uncle Bill isn't happy about you and Victoire?' he asks far too sweetly. She must hear her name because she turns around and sees her cousin and me talking.

'What do you want?' she asks acidly. Obviously she has not forgotten the words she had with her father.

This evidently is the wrong thing to say because James takes a huge breath of air and bellows 'You want to do what to Victoire.'

Every adult in the area looks around at the noise. I feel my girlfriend begin to move towards the little git but I get there first. Quickly he is in a headlock and struggling to get out.

'Let go of me,' he shouts, struggling to get free. I don't let go instead I tighten my grip.

'Are you going to stop,' I hiss, and I feel him nod. I notice that Harry has started to move towards us and I let go. I bolt towards Rose, but receive a hard punch on the arm from Victoire before she does.

I smile at her and she grins back at me. She turns away to talk to Molly when Harry sits beside me. I wonder if I'm about to be told off.

* * *

**Ron's POV**

Ron was hot, sweaty and annoyed. They had been in Australia for three weeks and quite frankly he just wanted to get back to the predictable weather of England. It had only taken a few days to find Hermione's parents, but now they had to find the man who could undo the memory charm that she had placed on them. He had been the reason that Hermione had chosen Australia for them to live, but unfortunately it was more difficult to find a wizard here than two muggles.

'Hermione, are you sure this time?' He said irritable, but recoiled when she shot him a venomous look.

'Look Ronald I am trying my best. If you don't like it go back to the dragon,' The Flaming Dragon was the wizarding pub they were staying in and Ron had no desire to let Hermione meet this Mr Flagen Fennel on her own.

He stuck his hand in his pockets sulkily and followed her up the stairs to the house, staring at the floor. He only looked up when he heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath and joined her in openly staring. The man standing in front of them was … odd looking to say the least. His hair was bright pink, and had the look of feathers. It stuck out like a weird halo all around his head. His glasses were bright purple and magnified his dark eyes so they looked like the main feature on his face.

If possibly his clothes were even stranger. His top half was covered by a 'Save the thestral,' T shirt, which had a picture of nothing on it but s bridle handing in mid-air and to go with this he wore the some hippogriff covered pajama bottoms.

Ron couldn't help do anything but openly stare at him. He knew Hermione would moan at him later for his lack of tact but he could help it.

'Mr Fennel?' Hermione recovered herself first, and Ron couldn't help but be amazed at how she did it. He shut his mouth when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and realised that Hermione had kicked him.

'I am' the oddity said, speaking in a thick Australian accent.

'Are you the man who can undo memory charms?' Her voice went shrill with hope, and when he nodded the biggest grin Ron had ever seen on her face appeared and she actually hugged him.

'We need your help,' she said once she had recovered herself, 'We can pay you for your time,'

He blinked down at her, and then slowly his mouth twisted into something that could have been a smile. Ron wasn't sure.

'You must be Hermione Granger.'

* * *

**Harry's POV**

After I had looked through some of the album Mr and Mrs Weasley had gotten me I had just sat in the room Ron and I shared for a long time. Ron had eventually appeared about an hour later, the album in hand and convinced me to come downstairs. The album was still on the bedside table three weeks later. With Ron on the other side of the world with Hermione there had been no one around to see me reaching out as if to pick it up and then quickly pulling my hand back.

From the small look I had already had at the pictures I already felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. The first few pictures had been of the Weasleys but when I had gotten to a picture with Fred in it I couldn't continue. It was a wonderful thing that they had done for me, and I wasn't indifferent to it but at the same time I found it extremely hard to look through it.

Once again I found myself reaching out for the book but before my fingers could make contact with the cover the door slammed open.

'Harry, You've got to come down stairs.'

My head snapped up to see Ginny, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.

'What's going on?'

'Bill and Fleur just got here.' She announced as if this should explain everything and then without another word whipped around and bolted back down the stairs.

Now curious I got up and got dressed and headed downstairs. The kitchen was packed. I obviously was not the only one who had been called to the kitchen. Bill, Fleur, Mrs Weasley and Ginny were wearing over excited expressions. The rest of us, I, Percy, George and Mr Weasley were all wearing the same confused look.

Fleur stepped forwards then.

'me and bill 'ave an announcement to make,' she said looking absolutely radiant. I thought that it was a good thing that Ron wasn't there because he would certainly have been ogling her as he had used to do. I smiled a little as I imagined what Hermione's reaction would be.

All these thoughts were immediately driven from my head at Fleur's next words.

'Bill and I are going to 'ave a baby.'

Everyone in the room had a reaction to these words. Both Molly and Ginny squealed in excitement. The rest of us shouted a mixture of surprise and congratulations.

* * *

That night I found it difficult to sleep. I found myself sitting by the light of my want just staring at the album. This time when I reached out for the album I didn't snatch it back. For a few minutes I just held it on my lap staring down at it and running my hand over the glossy cover. Slowly I opened it and looked long and hard at each of the pictures.

The first few pages were all pictures of the Weasleys. Most of them had me in them and a surge of feeling swelled in my chest. I was truly part of the Weasley family now, and maybe I had been since the very first time I had seen them at Kings Cross station. Most of the pictures were of our school days. Fred George and I that very first Christmas all sporting our Weasley Jumpers, Percy with his head boy badge looking very pompous. Behind him, unknown to him is me and Ron pulling faces. I laugh a little when I look at them.

My laughing halts abruptly when I get to a picture of Remus and Tonks' wedding day. There is photo after photo of the happy times in the midst of all the misery. I almost laugh out loud when I reach the picture of all of us on my seventeenth birthday. I am laughing at something Remus has said while Ron and Hermione are behind me continually sneaking glances at each other.

Finally I reach the back pages which seem to be dedicated to Ron Hermione and I. There is picture after picture of us three. Some of them have other people in them and there's one with every member of the DA but in every picture we are together. It's heart-warming to see exactly how we grew up together. There are some in there that I'm sure were taken my Colin Creevey and I grieve a little more for him. I start at the picture in which Ron burps up slugs and remember how irritated I was at the time. I'm glad he took this picture now, if only because it's a way to remember Colin as well.

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**Sorry, I had a slight writer's block on this story but I'm back now. I know a lot of people drag out the Ron and Hermione in Australia bit but that really isn't what I want to do. Apart from anything else I have not got a clue what Australia is like**

**I hope you continue to enjoy the story. If you have an opinion on who's POV you want to hear from let me know and I'll try to write it.**

**As always thanks for the follows, favourites and reviews please keep them coming they are greatly appreciated. **


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